Ex-West St. Paul council member acquitted of misconduct charges

A former West St. Paul City Council member was acquitted Tuesday of charges of disorderly conduct and misconduct by a public official.

A Dakota County jury took less than an hour to find Ed Hansen not guilty after a two-day trial, said Nathan Hansen, the defendant's attorney.

"It was kind of a case about nothing," said Nathan Hansen, who is not related to his client. "He's happy it's over."

Ed Hansen, 43, was elected in 2010, but he resigned in December 2012 after a contentious first term that included a spat over a Confederate flag flying at his home and the criminal charges.

Those were filed in summer 2012 after allegations that Hansen had an aggressive confrontation with a contractor and a real estate agent who were working near his house.

He was accused of cursing at them over a house being built next to his under an agreement with the city's economic development authority that he had long opposed. He was also accused of mentioning his political position in another argument over renting the home next to his.

Prosecutors said he was interfering with someone else's property rights under the pretense of official authority.

Jurors disagreed, and Nathan Hansen said several approached him after the trial saying they were mystified that the charges were brought in the first place.

"They asked the judge, 'Why is this a case? Why are we here?' " Nathan Hansen said.

Dakota County Attorney James Backstrom said he respects the jury's decision.

Advertisement

He said the misconduct by a public official statute isn't commonly used and can be difficult to prove.

"These are not easy decisions," he said, adding there can be "gray areas" about whether an official used his or her position improperly.

In addition to the charges, the city council censured Hansen and asked him to step down, which he did not do at the time. When he did, he said he didn't have time for the job.

He said the Confederate flag represented individual rights and liberty to him, but he eventually took it down as criticism dragged on.

He's also the franchise owner of a Rocco's Pizza in Little Canada. After the acquittal, Nathan Hansen said he's "going to be back to selling pizza tonight."